Death in fiery wreck blamed on Tesla's hideaway door handles

Tesla’s retractable door handles are being blamed for the death of a man in Florida, who was consumed by a fire in his car when a police officer responding to the incident couldn’t get the door open, Automotive News reports.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit, 48-year-old anesthesiologist Omar Awan lost control of his leased Tesla in February on a south Florida parkway.

The vehicle slammed into a palm tree and burst into flames.

When officers arrived, the door handles were retracted, and all they and bystanders could do was watch the car fill with smoke. The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation; Awan sustained no injuries from the crash.

The fire allegedly originated from the batteries, which in a Tesla are below the floor.

“Fire engulfed the car and burned Dr. Awan beyond recognition — all because the Model S has inaccessible door handles, no other way to open the doors, and an unreasonably dangerous fire risk,” according to the suit.

The handles are supposed to extend when it senses the key fob in the driver’s hands, but it doesn’t always go so smoothly. In fact, the door handles are one of items most commonly listed as faulty by Tesla Model S owners, according to Consumer Reports.

The design of the door handles has been contentious since its inception. Elon Musk insisted on their inclusion despite the fact during development it “was unanimous among the executive staff that the complex door handle idea was crazy,” according to a former exec speaking with Wired.